Departure
by basketcse
Summary: Stephanie finds herself suddenly alone and vulnerable like never before and learns what it means to be without hope and without a Ranger. She loses control of her life and takes a painful journey, one many women in this country take every day. Not cupcake or Helen friendly. Simulated primary character death and violence.
1. Chapter 1

These are not my characters. They belong to the author Janet Evanovich and thank you for letting us borrow them and run with our fantasies.

**Warning-This is a very dark story for these characters. It is a story about sensitive subjects and may upset some readers. There is a simulated primary character death and violence. It is extremely cupcake unfriendly and Helen is not a friend either. I was really down in the dumps when I wrote it a couple months back and it shows. It is a very short story because it is so angsty. I wasn't going to publish it, but I'm fond of it and a couple of my friends who have read it like it as well. **

Zetharin thanks for the great feedback.

Mandyh is my regular beta and was not available for this one so I got some help from a friend that likes to edit my stories for fun.

Special thanks to alix33 who is also a professional beta for all her help. You are great!

**Departure**

_This story is very different in that it is mainly written from a third party POV. Just trying something new and unique. The reason for this won't become clear until later chapters._

**Chapter 1**

_It was a beautiful fall day. The sun was shining, but the faces of the people standing around the grave site were solemn. Army Rangers in full dress marched the flag covered casket to the site and gently placed it above the open grave. All men placed their white glove covered hands on top of the casket and said, "Rangers Lead The Way!"_

_The flag was then rolled up and presented to Mrs. Manoso, mother of the hero. Three sets of military guns were fired and a helicopter hovering above began to slowly ascend over the casket in honor of the fallen Army Ranger, Ricardo Carlos 'Ranger' Manoso."_

A blue eyed woman with curly hair and tears rolling down her face stood back from the soldiers and the mourners willing herself just to stay on her feet. Her best friend and sometimes lover was about to be lowered six feet into the ground and buried and a huge piece of her broken heart would be buried with him. There were barely enough breaths in the airspace to get her through this painful scene. She walked behind a nearby tree and sunk down to the ground and gasped for the breaths that just almost refused to come. Her heart was in her throat and she just wanted…him back so badly.

She was holding her chest and quietly sobbing when a big hand reached down and pulled her up. Tank looked into the tear stained face and whispered, "Have faith, Sis."

"In what, Tank? He's gone and I never even got the chance to tell him how much he meant to me. He didn't know how much I really..."

"I think he knows."

"Come on, let me take you home."

"Thanks but, I just want to stay for a while."

She leaned her head against the tree and cried herself into a state of unconsciousness. When she next opened her eyes it was almost dark. She blinked a couple times and then a beautiful mocha latte colored man with long hair and a dazzling smile reached out and took her hands.

"Babe, have faith."

"How can I when your grave is just a few feet away? I never got the chance to tell you how much you really meant to me."

He took her face in his hands and kissed her deeply. His eyes were twinkling. "Everything will be alright. Do you trust me?" She nodded and closed her eyes as the tears fell.

When she looked up again, Joe Morelli was standing over her with hands on his hips glaring down at her. "What the hell, Cupcake? I have been looking everywhere for you."

"I'm sorry, Joe."

"Get in my truck and I'll take you home with me."

"Can you just take me to my apartment, please?"

"No. Now that this is over, you're giving up that shit hole apartment and you're moving in with me. I'll take care of you."

"That's not really what I want right now, Joe. Please, just take me home." He grabbed her arm.

"Cupcake, you're upset and I understand that. I love you and your home is with me now..."

He walked her to his SUV and put her in.

"I need to at least get Rex and some clothes. Joe...please." He mumbled, "Rex the friggin' rat."

"What?"

"Fine. We'll go by your apartment, get Rex and you'll get some clothes and this weekend you're moving out of there. Capiche?"

"Joe, what is wrong with you?"

"Honestly? I have been waiting a long time for that bastard to go away and six feet under couldn't have been better for me. I know that you cared for him and that was the big issue, the problem that kept us from being together the way that we were meant to be. You have been my girl since you were six years old, Cupcake. I have always loved you. So, please don't fight me on this. I know what's best for you. I always have." He had a look, something in his eyes she never remembered seeing there before.

"Joe, you know I love you too. I just can't make any plans for the future right now."

"I know. That's exactly why you need me right now."

"Joe...?"

"Everything is peachy, Cupcake. We're finally going to be happy. Trust me."

Later that night, she lay in the dark on the floor of Joe's bathroom sobbing. Part of what Joe had done to her tonight couldn't have been called making love or even having sex for that matter. He had touched her and taken her like he was taking ownership of her or marking her. She didn't know this side of him and it dawned on her that Ranger's presence in her life might have been the thing that tempered this side of Joe Morelli. Ranger had been in the background from the beginning of her romantic relationship with Joe the last few years.

She showered the filth and humiliation off and out of her hair and dressed in pajamas and eased into bed. She curled up into a ball and quietly cried herself to sleep. The next morning she dressed in her Rangeman clothes and went downstairs for coffee. She couldn't wait to have a few hours of respite away from here and away from Joe.

When she reached the kitchen and Joe saw her, he glared at her and said. "Get yourself upstairs and change your clothes now." His words were calm, but his eyes were menacing.

"I have to go to work today, Joe."

He handed her his phone. "The next thing that we're going to do for our relationship is end you're association with the thugs. I have some backers and some political aspirations. I'm going to be running for county sheriff and cutting your ties with those hoods will be the best thing for my career and for you. You're going to quit the job. Make the call."

"No, Joe. I like my job and I like the guys I work with."

Joe slowly backed her up against the wall and kissed her and wrapped his hand around her throat at the same time and gently squeezed. "I don't have time for this. I have a busy day. Make the call now, please." Then he squeezed a little harder.

She was shocked at the threat in his eyes and touch and began to dial the number, "Hello, Tank?"

"Hey, Bomber. How are you?"

"Tank, I called to let you know that I have to quit my job at Rangeman."

"Why, Steph? What brought this on?"

She looked at Joe. "Just some changes I have to make. I'm going to miss you guys." Joe squeezed harder and she cried out. "I have to go, Tank. Goodbye."

Joe let her go and gave her another gentle kiss. "Good girl. I don't like being upset with you, I never have. I love you. I'm dropping you at your apartment and you're going to spend your day packing." She nodded and went to feed Rex a carrot and a grape and went to change clothes. She came back down the stairs with her head down and picked up her bag and they left to go to her apartment.

He grabbed boxes out of the back of his SUV and carried them up to her apartment and set them in. "You were thinking ahead, I see."

"Are you being sarcastic, Cupcake?"

"Uh, no, just an observation."

"Good, because I'm not going to put up with it anymore. I'll pick you up later." He kissed her and got in his SUV and drove away.

She took a box and began packing things out of her closet when the tears started again. Her heart was so heavy that she just couldn't do the packing right now. She didn't want to move. She didn't want to do this. She lay down on her bed and cried again until she fell asleep.

Dreaming, she looked into warm brown eyes and put her hand in his dark silky hair and brought his mouth to hers. Then put her cheek to his beautiful face and cried. "Ranger, I miss you so much. As long as you keep coming to me in my dreams I can go on."

He ran his hand over the light bruises left by rough fingers on her neck and gently pulled her shirt off and then her jeans. He ran his hands over the small bruises that looked like fingerprints on her waist and thighs and touched the Rangeman panties and smiled. "Mine." He pulled them down and gently touched her and she was immediately ready for him.

"Please love me, Ranger." He entered her slowly and kissed her passionately. It was so real. She could smell the Bvlgari soap that she loved so much and the musk that was uniquely his. "Babe, please hold on and trust me", he whispered as he brought her to orgasm.

"I always trusted you, Ranger. I loved you." Tears began falling again as she came down from her release and closed her eyes.

When she woke up it was in the afternoon. She sat on the side of the bed remembering the dream she had of Ranger. He was still speed dial one on her phone but he would never answer again when she dialed it. He would never be there for her again.

When Joe came in she was filling a box with shoes. He put his hands on his hips. "Is this all you got done today? What the fuck were you doing?"

"I'm sorry, Joe. I'm just having a hard time right now. I need some time before I make any major changes." He reached out and squeezed her cheeks hard. "The past is done. Manoso is dead and he is _not_ coming to your rescue or complicating our lives anymore. You are mine now. I have your parents' blessing and you're moving in with me and you will accept the changes and be happy that I love you so much." She didn't have the strength to fight him and just nodded.

Joe loaded the full boxes into his SUV. He stopped for Chinese food and they ate quietly at his kitchen table.

"The sooner you accept this is your life now, the happier you'll be, Cupcake. You just need to support me and do what I ask of you. I promise that this is for the best", and then he chucked her under the chin.

"The first thing you're going to do is learn how to cook and you're going to have dinner ready for me when I get home every day. No more eating out of boxes all the time." She just nodded.

She was in the bathroom getting ready for bed and was about to take her birth control when Joe snatched the pills out of her hand and dumped them all in the toilet. "You won't be needing these anymore."

She went into the bedroom and reached in a drawer for some pajamas when Joe grabbed her around the waist and kissed her neck and unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them down and then put her face down on the bed. He pushed up her shirt and then pulled away and swore. She turned her head and he was staring at her underwear with fury in his eyes.

He reached down and ripped the underwear off and showed them to her. It had the Rangeman logo on the back and he yelled at her and wrapped them around her neck and slammed into her. She cried out. She wasn't ready. "Joe, you're hurting me. Please just stop for a minute."

He roughly rubbed her down there and grabbed her hair and said, "Bet you were always wet and ready for Manoso! You wore his name like a brand on you! He tried to make you his whore and you were MY girlfriend!" Then he pumped her hard until he climaxed and let her go roughly and stomped out of the room.

She whimpered, "Joe…This is not you…"

He came back a few minutes later and sat down on the bed and touched her head and her silky curls. "I don't want to be upset with you. I want us to have a fresh start and a new life together. We're going to get married and we're going to have kids. You never could make up your mind when he was around and he didn't even want you, Cupcake. He had his chance all those times when we broke up and didn't take it. Face that fact and let him go! You need my help to be happy and you will be."

TBC-

Dad did get the 21-gun salute at the end too. Hooah!

As you can see, this is a story about a slow manipulation and abuse. It's a tough subject and tough to swallow, but it's reality for a lot of women. Joe will get worse. I'm not typically a Joe hater at all. I like Joe, he's just a hot guy and knows it. This one just fit my story, sorry Cupcakes. Answers to what happened to Ranger will be revealed later in the story.

It is okay to review it honestly. Seriously!


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning-This chapter includes violence and violence of a sexual nature. **(Please don't read the warning and review that you are surprised or offended. That's just dumb.)

Previously-

_"I don't want to be upset with you. I want us to have a fresh start and a new life together. We're going to get married and we're going to have kids. You never could make up your mind when he was around and he didn't even want you, Cupcake. He had his chance all those times when we broke up and didn't take it. Face that fact and let him go! You need my help to be happy and you will be."_

**Chapter 2**

The reality of what Joe had just said made her grimace and the tears began to fall again. Joe didn't even know about the one time that they had been together and that Ranger had told her he couldn't have a relationship with her and had sent her back to him. The memory was painful. Ranger hadn't wanted her, but that had not changed the way she felt about him and she knew in her heart that he had sincerely cared about her too. They hadn't just had sex. They had made love and it had been good.

He went to the bathroom and showered and she lay there thinking and trying to hold the brunt of her tears back until she could have the chance to be alone with her grief. Even in death, Joe was threatened by Ranger. All the pent-up anger he ever had toward the man was coming out now at her. She didn't know this side of Joe and was starting to feel afraid.

When he came back to the bedroom, she went to the shower. As soon as the water started, the tears started. When she got out and looked at herself in the mirror she saw that half her body was covered in small bruises from his fingers. She had new ones on her jaws. She quietly stepped out of the bathroom and looked at the bed. Thank goodness he was sleeping. She put sweatpants and a shirt on and eased into the bed and crawled into a tight ball and closed her eyes and went back to her dreams and remembered the tender chocolate eyes, his smell and gentle kisses.

Joe woke her the next morning and told her to get ready and drive him to work. She didn't have a car because hers had gone to Stephanie's car heaven about a week before Ranger was killed. She had been driving one of Ranger's cars and Joe made her give it back after they got word about his death.

"Joe, my insurance check came in and I'm going to buy a car today."

"No you're not. We'll wait to buy you a new car. You'll drop me off at the station and take my SUV and go back to your apartment and continue to pack. Then you'll pick up some cookbooks from a bookstore and go to the grocery store and pick me up at work when I call." She nodded and fed Rex and they left.

The first place she drove to after she dropped Joe off was a women's clinic. Joe knew who her gynecologist was and she didn't want Joe to check and find out about this. She waited and then asked for birth control in the form of a shot she'd heard about and only had to take every three months. The last thing she wanted was for Joe to get her pregnant before she could gain control of her life again. After, she stopped at the Tasty Pastry bakery and picked up a box of doughnuts and headed to the bonds office. She needed to see some friendly faces. She needed her girls. Her strength was waning every day she was without her friends.

She walked in and Lester and Hal were there. Hal hugged her and then Lester hugged her and looked at her face and neck.

"Stephanie, are you okay", Lester asked.

"I'm okay, Les. I miss Ranger really bad."

"We all do, beautiful."

Hal asked, "Why did you quit your job?"

"It's complicated, Hal."

Connie asked, "Are you picking up skips today, Steph? I got plenty to choose from. The guys were going to give me a hand with some of these."

"Sorry, Connie. I can't pick up skips right now for you."

Lula put her hands on her hips. "You better spill right now and tell us what the fuck is goin' on, girl. I ain't buying no bullshit today!"

"It's Joe. We're going through some adjustments. That's all it is. He doesn't want me to take skips right now. I'm moving in with him this weekend."

Four mouths said, "What?"

Lester's eyes narrowed. "I want to know, did he put those marks on you?" She just stared at him.

Connie said, "He did, didn't he? What is going on with him. He was never this way before, was he?"

"It's personal and complicated Con. I can't talk about it."

"Oh hell no, girlfriend. You are not going to disrespect our friendship by feeding me that!"

"Lula, he's a cop. A respected and powerful cop and now with political backing. He can hurt anybody that gets involved in this, including all of you. Let me just try to figure some things out."

"Lester, you and Hal could do me a favor by getting my last paycheck from Rangeman. I need to pay Dillon to hold my apartment for a couple months." Then she handed her Rangeman key fob to Hal.

"Shit Steph, we would go pay him for you out of our pockets. Tank would too. He's going to be pissed when he hears this."

"Why don't we just keep this between us for right now, guys."

She hugged everyone and left.

At the bookstore she bought a couple beginner cookbooks as instructed and headed to her apartment. She was digging in her closet and felt a familiar tingle that she missed so much and turned into strong arms. "Ranger, you came again. Please just hold me for a while." She sobbed into his chest.

"Stephanie, don't cry. I want you to be happy. Have faith and continue to trust me."

"I do and always did. I've just lost faith in me."

He gently kissed her and she closed her eyes. When she opened them again he was gone. She felt empty without him.

After she packed a few boxes in the kitchen, she looked at the clock. She needed to go by the grocery before Joe called and didn't want to make him mad. She looked in one of the cookbooks and jotted down ingredients for a couple simple casserole and pasta recipes and left to go purchase the ingredients. While she was in the checkout lane her phone rang. It was Joe and she answered. "Are you ready for me to pick you up now?"

"Yeah. I'm about ready."

"I'm going through the grocery checkout now. I'll be on my way as soon as I get through here."

"Good girl." He disconnected.

When she pulled up to the station Joe was waiting for her outside talking to a couple cops. He waved at her and hopped in the passenger side of the SUV and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "How was your day, Cupcake?"

"It was good, Joe. Yours?"

"Okay. So what's for dinner tonight?"

"I bought some stuff to make a casserole and a salad. Shouldn't take long to make."

"Sounds good. How about I help you. We can cook together and eat. Then we can go upstairs and have hot sweaty gorilla sex."

He seemed a little more like the Joe she knew tonight. She smiled at him. "That sounds good, Joe." She thought, as long as it wasn't angry sex then she could handle it.

She showed him the cookbooks and the chicken and rice recipe that she was going to make. "Sounds great. You start that and I'll cut up the broccoli and the salad vegetables." He gave her a quick kiss and went to work. He finished the salad as she put the casserole in the oven.

"It will be done in about 30-40 minutes. You want to watch some TV?" He shook his head with a wicked grin on his face

He walked her over to the kitchen dinette and bent her over it. "Cupcake, if we're going to make a baby then we need to take every opportunity we can get." He held her head down. "Pull down those jeans and those panties for me." She reached down and did what he asked. "Good girl. Now, you reach down and get yourself wet and ready for me while I grab a beer."

She was stunned by his order that she fondle herself so disrespectfully, in this room and in this position. Then she thought about the pain she'd experienced when she wasn't ready and Joe wasn't small by any normal measure. So she did what he asked.

He came back and unbuckled his belt and pulled his jeans down and reached around and fondled her gentler than the last time and then plunged into her and she closed her eyes as it seemed to take forever before he finally grunted his release and came inside of her. He zipped up and pulled her head up and kissed her hard. "Nice. Better check on that casserole now, Cupcake."

Joe talked while they ate. She nodded and acted like she was interested in what he was saying. She cleaned up the kitchen and stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked up. She was wishing that she had the power to change time and turn the clock back so she didn't have to go up there. So she didn't have to be here. This is not the way it was supposed to be between two people that cared about each other she thought.

They had plain missionary sex this time and thank goodness he rolled off and just went to sleep. She moved to the other side of the bed and lay there, but sleep never came.

The next morning she drove Joe to the police station again. As she was pulling out of the lot her phone rang. It was Tank.

"Hello."

"Little sister, can you come by Rangeman."

"I don't know, Tank. Probably not a good idea."

"Bomber, I promised my friend that if anything ever happened to him that I would look after you. I just want to see you to make sure you're okay."

She gave a weary sigh. "Okay. I'll come now."

She parked outside the building because she no longer had access to the garage and went in the street access door and Zero nodded to her and punched the button on the elevator for level five. When the elevator door opened Tank grabbed her and pulled her into a big bear hug.

"I miss you, little girl."

"Me too, Tank."

He looked at her closely. "You don't look so good. You look tired and you have bruises on you. Come to my office. We need to talk about this."

She wearily followed him. When he closed the door he took her shoulders in his big hands and looked in her eyes. "Stephanie, please tell me what is happening to you and how I can help you."

"I can't and I'll be okay. Thank you for caring about me, big guy."

"Stephanie, Ranger would want us to protect you and take care of you."

"I'm not your responsibility or your burden. Truth be told, I don't think I really care anymore what happens and that's the truth Tank."

"This is not what I want to hear from you and that is not you, Bomber!"

"Please, just let me work this out for myself and don't get involved. Your involvement will only bring Rangeman problems."

"Be clear about this. I ain't scared of Morelli. The boys came to me and Rangeman has secured your apartment. I'm going to tell you again to keep the faith and be strong. I want you to call me if you need me. Call any of us. I'm worried and against my better judgement, I'm going to trust that you can take care of yourself and let you walk out of here." He hugged her again.

"Thank you, Tank. Goodbye."

When she picked up Joe that night he was silent and cold. As soon as they got through the door of his house he slapped her across the face. "What the fuck was my truck doing parked in front of Rangeman today?"

"I…I went to pick up my paycheck."

"Give it to me!"

"I…put it in the bank already."

"Show me the deposit slip"

"I…I can't."

"You're lying to me? Why did you go there?"

"Tank called me."

"What did you tell him?"

"Nothing. He's just curious why I suddenly quit."

"You will never go to those thugs again when they call and you will never lie to me again. Tonight you're going to learn a hard lesson, Cupcake. This is ALL _your_ fault!" He grabbed her by her pony tail and began pulling her toward the stairs. She looked up them. This time with real foreboding.

TBC-

There was a revealing slip of the tongue early in chap 1. Did any one catch it?

For any women that have had to endure this, my empathy goes out to you and hope that you gathered strength from someone or something who cared about you. Man or furry friend. Does not matter. My best to you and this story is for you. I have already had one guest speak out and I hope that more will.

For those of you who have the same question as one reviewer: Why does she not just call 911? Stupid women.

She has relied on Ranger for support and rescue for several years and that support has been ripped out from under her. She is grieving and confused and weakened by that grief. She is seeing Ranger in her head. She loves Joe, yet is shocked by the sudden change in him and he has her parents backing and he now has political people in high places that can bring trouble to her friends and Rangeman.

Steph is not a strong person and that is the way JE wrote her. She has fallen prey to her parents and to Joe and her ex-husband and she even let Ranger mess with her head at times. Last, do you know how many battered women in this country NEVER call 911? Too damn many.

This story as originally written is only five chaps. Fans of my twisted mind that know me can decide if you want more. I did write more and with a twist and a possible hea. You can decide if you want it dead and buried or if you want to roll with it.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Warning-This chapter includes violence and violence of a sexual nature.**_ (This chap will be the most uncomfortable.)

_"You will never go to those thugs again when they call and you will never lie to me again. Tonight you're going to learn a hard lesson, Cupcake. This is ALL your fault!" He grabbed her by her pony tail and began pulling her toward the stairs. She looked up them. This time with real foreboding._

**Chapter 3**

"Joe, please don't hurt me. Joe...?" She began to try to struggle and fight and he roared and punched her in the face and she fell backwards on to the wood floor in his bedroom. His eyes were terrifying and black as obsidian. He picked her up by the shirt and hit her in the ribs and ripped it off of her. Then he put his hand around her throat and pushed her toward the bed and slapped her again grabbing her bra and ripping it as he launched her at it. He punched her in the ribs again as she was grasping at bedding and trying to scramble away from the hands that were punishing her.

This all had happened so fast that she was barely able to catch her breath between the blows and awful pain. She was almost shocked silent to this point except for her cry at the first strike. She had terror in her eyes and now she was in so much pain that she was gasping for breath. Joe unbuckled his belt and pulled it out of the loops and slapped her with it when she she was trying to roll away. He struck her again before she stopped.

He reached out and grabbed her pants and jerked them down and then ripped away her panties. He dropped the belt before unzipping his own pants and dropping them and his boxer briefs and then he leaned over her, caging her with his arms and plowed into her to the hilt in one stroke. This is when she screamed again. His eyes were wild as he pumped her and then thankfully, he shortly grunted his release.

She was crying as he pulled out of her. When she saw that he was still hard and his face was red, he was breathing hard and growling like an animal; a new wave a fear hit her. This wasn't over yet. He roughly turned her over and parted her. She was in so much pain and shock that she could barely speak and her lip was bleeding. "Ple..please Joe,..not..this", she begged.

He grabbed something out of the nightstand drawer. "I bet Manoso never had you this way, but I will whenever I want from now on. Now you do butt stuff Stephanie Plum and you're going to like it. All of you belongs to _me_ now!" Then he pushed into her backside hard and she screamed again. Pain seared her as he plowed her fast and violently. Then, suddenly he pulled out and she felt the warmth of his ejaculate over her back. She thought she heard his pants zip and him stomping out of the room.

Before he even left, she was already headed to that safe place in Ranger's arms. She couldn't move and just closed her eyes and all went black to escape the excruciating pain and humiliation.

Gentle hands held her. "Babe, I'm so sorry I'm not here when you need me. Please hold on a bit longer for me."

She whispered, "Ranger, I'm really tired now. I just want to be with you."

"No. You trust me and you be strong for me. You never disappoint me. Don't do it now."

"But, where you are has to be a better place. It hurts so bad here."

She closed her eyes and passed out again.

She opened her eyes as Joe was carrying her to the bathtub. He had liquor on his breath. He placed her in and washed the blood and filth off of her. He was silent for most of the bath with unshed tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry I hurt you, Cupcake. You can't keep pushing me like that. I love you. You lied to me and I asked you to stay away from those thugs. Just do what I ask you to do and don't defy me and I won't be upset."

He picked her up and dried her and placed her in his bed. Then he gave her a pill with a bottle of water. "Take this." She took the pill and rolled over holding her sides. He got in and moved close to her.

The next morning, Joe helped her to the bathroom and gave her another pill and left for work. She remembered hearing voices in the room later. "Bomber? Mother fuck! Pack her stuff, Hal. Lester, go get Rex and grab her messenger bag and call Bobby and tell him to meet us at the hospital." Big strong hands gently dressed her like she was a child. He picked her up and hugged her close to him.

"This is over now and you're going to be safe in a little while." He carried her to the SUV and got in the back holding her in his big arms. He gently rocked her and spoke softly to her all the way to the hospital. Tank barked at the nurses at the ER desk and Steph was taken back immediately. A doctor checked her from head to toe and then she was taken to x-ray. Bobby arrived and was given orders for her care and her cracked rib and given prescriptions to be filled. Then the men took her home to Rangeman and safety.

In the elevator, she finally spoke through her swollen mouth. "No, not seven, please."

"Ella is waiting for you there."

"Please, I can't, with him not there. Please no. A couch, anything, just not there."

Lester said, "She can stay in my apartment. I'll sleep on seven."

Lester opened his apartment and led the way to his bedroom.

Tank gently put her down.

"Thank you, guys."

"Bomber, I'm calling Eddie, Carl and Big Dog. They need to see this and you need to file charges. It'll be worse if you don't. He might try to come at you again."

"I don't want him trying to come at you or Rangeman, Tank."

"Like I said before, I ain't scared of that sorry piece of shit, Bomber! If he fucks with us now, he better be ready to disappear." She winced and nodded.

Bobby came in and sat down on the bed. "I'm going to wait until you speak to Eddie and the report is filed to give you a pain pill. Can you eat something? Ella has some soup for you."

"I'll try."

She ate a few spoons of soup before Eddie, Big Dog and Carl arrived. Eddie looked at her. He did this to you?" She nodded.

"Why _did_ he do it?"

"I came to see Tank yesterday and he found out. I lied to him about the reason I was here. I told him I came to get my check but I didn't have the check or the deposit slip to show him. He got mad."

"But, you work here."

"No, he made me quit. He's been different since Ranger…"

"I don't fucking understand this from him all the sudden, but I think you need to press charges and we need to place a restraining order against him."

Carl began writing his report. "Tell me everything that happened. When she got finished talking they all just stared at her.

Bobby said, "Tell them the rest, Steph."

"What?"

"What else he did to you. It needs to be in the report."

"No!"

"Then I will because it needs to be in the report. He brutally sodomized her. She has both trauma and damage from his attack on her. She has bruises and fucking handprints all over her. Old ones too from before this."

Bobby looked at her with sad eyes and said, "I'm so sorry. They needed to know all of it."

She couldn't look at them and rolled away toward the wall.

"Can I just be alone now, please. I appreciate everything. I just can't talk any more right now." Then she turned back and looked at everyone in the room. "Please...I'm begging you. If you are my friends, don't say a word about this outside this room. Eddie, Carl and Big Dog, please try to keep this quiet at the station. Better for you too. Joe has friends in high places now." They all looked at each other and nodded.

"Here, take this and get some rest." Bobby handed her a pill and a water bottle. The door closed and the room was quiet at last and she closed her eyes.

She felt warmth and smelled Bvlgari. "I always loved your smell. The first time I snuck into your apartment while you were away that time I used your shower. I lathered myself in your body wash and then I touched myself thinking about you and being in your shower. It felt so intimate even without you there."

"Tell me more, Babe."

"Well, then the nosey girl took over and I had to know if you were boxers or briefs."

"What did you find?"

"That one pair of black silk boxers. But I already knew what the real answer was. I wasn't too awfully nosey. I just mainly wanted to touch things that made me feel close to you. Oh, and I always loved the feel of your sheets."

"Thanks for sharing that with me, Babe."

"I miss you so much."

"I know."

There was a knock on the door and Ella and Bobby entered. Bobby said, "We thought maybe you would like to eat a little and then I can give you another pain pill."

"Okay."

She ate a couple bites of the cheesy casserole and a bite of the chocolate cake to please Ella. She wasn't really hungry though. Ella said, "Stephanie, I wish you would eat a little more."

"Thank you for cooking this nice meal, but I really can't eat much now, Ella."

Ella gently touched her face, "I'm very sorry, dear. You deserve so much better than to be hurt and abused. You're such a good, kind person. You're safe with my boys now." She hugged the sweet woman that cared about her so much. Bobby gave her another pain pill and she rolled over and went back to sleep.

When she woke up again, Lester was laying on top of the blanket next to her asleep. He was dressed with his hands behind his head and legs crossed. He was so handsome. He was Ranger's cousin and reminded her so much of him when she looked closely at him. Their personalities were total opposite. Where Ranger had been quiet and serious and intense, Lester was outgoing and silly. Just then he opened one eye and looked at her.

"Good morning, beautiful."

"Morning, Les. Did you miss your bed?"

"No, I just came to check on you and this side of the bed was free. You're staring at me with a sad look on your face. Most women have smiles on their faces when they stare at me. You're going to give me a serious complex here, gorgeous. What can I do to put the smile back on your face?" Then he gave her the two eyebrow waggle.

"I was thinking how you remind me of Ranger in some ways. You're handsome like he was."

His eyes changed to sad and dark and he gently touched her bruised face. "Right back at ya', beautiful. I miss him too. We all do. Let's change the subject. How about I regale you with my latest conquests or you tell me about your numero uno sex fantasy and I'll tell you about mine."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You're such a licentious lech, Lester."

"Don't you go using those big words on me, woman. Sounds pretty good, though. I could be the big triple LLL. Like the triple threat. Lure em', Love em' and Leave em'."

She smacked him. "That is just rotten, Santos. Look at me. You're better than Joe. Don't you hurt any women emotionally or otherwise and I mean it." Then she started to cry.

"I'm so sorry. I don't do that. I was just kidding. I would never abuse a woman."

"I know. I'm just so damn emotional right now."

"Come on. I'll help bathe and dress and you'll feel better. You need help to the bathroom? I promise I won't look." He was trying to hide the little grin poking out the side of his mouth.

She sighed with resignation. "You know, Les, I don't even care. There is nothing sexy about me right now. Let's go."

He helped her to the toilet and ran her bath. He then helped her get undressed and into the tub and washed her hair for her. She soaked and he sat down and held her hand and told her stories about some of the funny situations they had gotten into while they were all deployed together in other parts of the world.

One of the best was the time they were on hiatus in Paris staying at an old swanky hotel and Tank pulled a long cord next to the toilet when he finished taking a crap thinking it was to flush. The butler on the floor arrived in the bathroom with a soapy sponge on a long stick and motioned for Tank to bend over. Turns out he was the hotel's equivalent of a bidet and he was there to wash Tank's ass. Lester laughed and said the look on Tank's face alone was priceless when Ranger spoke to the butler in French and then explained to our Pierre the service that was about to be bestowed on him. She almost drowned in the tub she was laughing so hard.

"Stop making me laugh, Lester. It hurts!"

When she was almost ready to get out, there was a knock on the door. Lester went out then came back in the bathroom. "It's Ella and Bob. Breakfast and your pain pill. You want me to look in your bag and get you something or I can get you some of my stuff to wear."

"You know boxers and a t-shirt would be really comfortable."

"I got this, then. Be right back."

He came back in and lifted her out and helped her to dry. She put on his boxers and big comfy soft t-shirt and he helped her into the next room. "Good Morning", Ella and Bobby chimed.

"Lester, could you dig in my bag and get my brush and hair products. I gotta' try to tame this beast a little before I become the scary poodle head phantom of Rangeman." They all grinned at her. Just a hint of her sense of humor was a good sign.

TBC-

My grandma used to whack my grandpa with the iron skillet when he came in drunk and mean and then called the sheriff. However, most of us don't live in an extension of Mayberry.

One guest sister again brought up the statistics for abuse and it is in fact staggering. Some hinted that you may be directly affected by abuse.

I had a friend who was a victim of abuse. One abuser actually stuffed her behind the fridge naked and had beaten her to a pulp and I rescued her. I wanted to be angry with her for taking it, but then I realized that she had been in this pattern for a long time. It had started with her Dad. He had abused them and left their mother. The really sick part was his occupation. He was a respected gynecologist that resented and disrespected women. Guess what, I was his patient at 17 years old. I had a mature boyfriend that wanted me on birth control and I went to this guy because he was close to my home. He degraded me and humiliated me and then a couple years later, I met his daughter in college. He had in the meantime died of a heart attack and we both said, "Good riddance and burn." My friend never broke the cycle. She kept choosing the same men and going back again after I rescued her. It was sad because she was a gorgeous girl. I got my cars keyed and threatened for the help. So many will never break the cycle or escape. It's like an addiction to some and professional help and counseling is needed for all victims of abuse.

When I met my husband, the first thing I told him was that I had a good iron skillet and wasn't afraid to use it. LOL For some reason he still married me.


	4. Chapter 4

Warning-Smut Alert!

**Chapter 4**

Ella had brought cinnamon rolls and juice and coffee. She ate a little more this morning. Bobby gave her a pain pill after she ate and she went to lay back down. He walked into the room. "The best thing you can do for healing is to sleep, Steph. Take your pain pill and I can stay with you for a while?" She watched as he sat the bottle down on the night stand and smiled.

"Okay, would you lay down here with me, please." He nodded and lay down and gathered her close to him. He rubbed her back gently until she went to sleep.

"Noooo…Joe! Please…don't…please." Strong hands stopped her thrashing and gently shook her awake.

"Steph, it's Bob. No one is going to hurt you again." He pulled her close and she lay breathing hard against his muscular chest.

"Go back to sleep, Steph."

She woke a while later alone in the bed. There was a knock and Ella called out and poked her head in. "I have food and a lunch buddy for you."

Hal popped his head in the bedroom door. "Hey, Steph, you mind if we eat together? I wanted to spend my dinner break with you."

"How sweet. That would be great. Ella's the best, huh?"

"She sure is and so are you." She couldn't help it and kissed him on the cheek. "You're so sweet, Hal." They ate and chatted about nothing in particular and then she hugged him before he went back to work.

She was watching TV when Lester, Bobby and Tank came in and joined her. Lester pulled her on to his lap and pulled her head against his chest. Tank found a movie they all agreed on and Bobby made some popcorn in the microwave and brought some sodas. She looked at all her guys. They were going to be her lifeline to some kind of future. She stayed awake watching the movie as long as she could and then fell asleep in Lester's strong arms.

Later, she rolled over and stretched and found herself in her bed alone. She reached for a pain pill from the night stand and took it and rolled over again. She felt a familiar warm tingle in her sleep and then heard that low sweet voice that she missed so much. "Babe, before I have to go I just wanted to tell you that I love you and thank you for loving me."

"Oh, please don't go. Please don't leave me."

"You're going to be okay now. You're safe." Then she felt his warm breath close to her lips where he left a gentle kiss and then he moved away and was gone. She sobbed. "I did love you and you meant everything to me. What am I going to do now? How am I going to live without you in my life and now my dreams?"

Bobby came in the next morning after she ate breakfast. "I'll help you bathe this morning and I can check your injuries at the same time." She nodded. She didn't care anymore who saw her naked. She was not exactly what you would call a turn-on right now with all her bruises and red and blue swollen face.

Bobby ran her bath while she undressed. He began to look her over and she said, "Pretty ugly, huh?"

He gave her a warm smile. "The bruises are ugly, but the woman is definitely not." She snorted.

"Get in the tub, Steph."

He sat down next to the tub and smiled at her.

"You're a really hot guy, Bobby, and you're sweet and gentle. How come some pretty girl hasn't snapped you up yet?"

"The lifestyle, I guess."

"That was Ranger's line. You guys don't think you deserve to be happy and have women that love you and children? You are the best men I know with the biggest hearts."

"Thank you. You always saw us different than most people."

He grabbed the bath sponge and began washing her. When he ran it over one of her breasts she jumped. "I'm sorry, did I hurt you? Did I touch a tender place?"

"Yeah, but not the kind of tender you're thinking."

A knowing smile began to spread across his face. "Sorry Steph."

"Uh..don't be. That will probably be the highlight of my day. I would have expected never to feel…you know… after what Joe did to me."

"Then I don't feel bad. Anytime you want to feel even a little better than that you let me know." He winked at her. "I'm at your service."

She closed her eyes. "Anything to make me forget for a little while would do." She reached out to him and squeezed his hand. He raised it to his lips and kissed it.

She pulled his hand into the tub and moved it between her legs and he didn't pull away. He touched her and began to create wonderful sensations and then his soft lips brushed hers. The kiss became deeper and then his tongue was exploring while the hand was bringing her closer to the edge. He held the back of her neck and took her orgasm into his mouth when it came. After a couple of minutes she opened her blue eyes and looked at him and smiled.

"Thank you, Bob. You have nice hands and that base covered." He gave her a warm smile.

"My pleasure. Come on and let's get you out and dressed. Since we are a little more familiar now, do you mind if I take a look at your backside? I want to see how you're healing."

"Ugh, this is so embarrassing."

"I'm so sorry. I can tell you that if we're lucky enough to meet his sorry ass in a dark alley one night, whichever one of us present with the biggest cock is going to fuck him for payback."

She looked in his eyes and knew he was serious. None of these guys were average in that area either. She barked with laughter and then bent over and presented her naked ass to him. "I hope to be there, Bobby."

That night Lester came in to check on her late and lay down next to her. He looked so tired. "Lester, take your clothes off and just get in and get comfortable." He smiled at her and removed his clothes down to his boxers and crawled under the covers and reached for her.

She woke up half on top of him and felt sad when she looked at him. It was the way she had always woke up when Ranger slept with her. She was about to pull away when his grip tightened around her waist. She looked up into his beautiful hazel eyes and then to his full sensual lips. She touched his lips and his face and then put her hands in his soft hair and gently kissed him. That was enough for him.

He took over the kiss and traced her lips with his tongue and parted them and kissed her passionately and explored her and then captured her tongue and sucked it gently, not wanting to let go and losing himself in the kiss. He whispered, "Oh God, Steph. You taste so good. I have wanted to kiss you like this for so long." She moved her hand down his chest to his boxers where his erection was prominent.

"No, beautiful girl. You're hurt and I won't take advantage of you. You need to heal." She reached inside his boxers and wrapped her hand around his large cock and stroked him.

He groaned, "We can do this, Les."

"But…" She grabbed his hand and pulled it down her stomach and into her soaked panties. He groaned again. "Agh..shit, Steph. I'm just a man..Dios..I have to taste all of you."

Then he pulled the covers aside and moved down her body and gently pulled her panties down her legs and slowly kissed his way back up to her center. He kissed her with tenderness and licked her slick folds and then began to worship her with his tongue. "Les, that feels so good. I never pictured you so tender."

He raised his head. "Gorgeous, there is a lot you don't know about me."

"I want to know you. Please, don't stop." He grinned at her and pushed her knees up and pulled her to him with his strong arms and buried his head and sucked her little swollen nub as he reached up and gently caressed a breast and small hard nipple. "More Les..."

"I know what you want, beautiful." He put his fingers inside of her and move them with long determined strokes and she arched her back and moaned as her legs began to quiver and he brought her closer to the sensual heights that she hadn't experienced in so long. When she finally cried her release, he pulled her into his arms and told her how special she was to him and he would never let anyone hurt her again.

"Lester, that was special. Thank you so much."

"De nada, hermosa (you're welcome, gorgeous/beautiful). I care about you very much."

"I know. The feeling is mutual." When he went to the bathroom, she grabbed the bottle on the night stand and took a pill and washed it down.

They snuggled and she drifted into a dreamless sleep.

There was no one there when she next woke up. Her first thought was that Ranger had not come to visit her. Bobby came in the door and she looked up at him with sad frantic eyes.

"Bobby, please. He's gone now forever. I can't feel anything but pain."

"What do you mean, Steph?"

"Love me, please."

"Steph, you're hurt and you're so fragile right now physically and emotionally. I would never forgive myself if I added to that suffering."

"I..sorry..I guess I just need something for the pain."

"Okay." He gave her a pain pill with some water.

"I'll stay with you for a while to get you bathed and fed. Got something special coming for breakfast. Then we'll play some cards or a game or something."

"Doctor's orders, I guess," she said.

"Damn skippy", he winked, mocking her with one her favorite phrases.

"What's the breakfast?"

"Shit on a shingle."

She made a face like she was trying to form a visual. "Excuse me? What is it like gourmet bird poo or something? Don't think so buddy. Not eatin' that crap you guys consume in the bush." He burst out laughing.

"Not what you're thinking, kid. It's hamburger in gravy on toast. It's hearty Army food. Had it all the time in basic."

"Is Ella cooking it?"

"Yes."

"Then I don't care what it is. I'll eat it."

Tank came in as she was cleaning her breakfast plate. He came over and kissed her on the cheek. "How you feeling, baby girl?"

"Hi, big guy. I'm a lot better. The pain is more centered around my heart again."

"I know. It's takes much more time for a heart to heal than a bruise."

"I guess. I don't really feel like anything will be the same again. I don't know where to go from here."

"Things won't ever be exactly the same. You have all of us now and we'll help you to find some happy again, doll."

He gave her a big bear hug and left. She took a pain pill and went to lay down.

Hal came to visit her in the afternoon. She was laying on the bed when he peeped in the door. "Steph, you okay? I've been so worried about you." His eyes were sad and so serious.

"Oh Hal, come here." He sat on the bed and she took his face in her hands and kissed him and then put her arms around him to comfort him. "I..care about you Steph."

"I know and I love you too, Hal." She put her arms around his neck and kissed his lips gently and then deepened the kiss and he responded and then she pulled his shirt slowly over his head and then kissed his massive abs. "Steph, wait. We can't..."

"You're very handsome, Hal. Can I see the rest of you?"

"Steph?"

"It's okay." She unzipped him and pulled his cargos down and crawled in his lap and placed her arms around his big neck and then asked him to help her and he lowered her onto him and gasped as she immediately began to ride him at first gently and then harder to orgasm. After she climaxed and squeezed him, he had cum hard and blushed. He had held her like a porcelain doll.

She whispered in his ear, "Let's be bad and call one of the guys to go to Pino's and pick us up a bunch of meatball subs and some Tastycakes and we'll pig out. We'll declare Lester's apartment a total contraband zone." He looked at her with surprise and then kissed her and laughed and began moving in her again.

Hal had left her naked and sated and a very happy woman and called down to the control room and then headed into the shower. Shit! Who would have imagined that one gentle giant could pack so much happy she thought.

In about half an hour there were about five guys in Lester's apartment eating subs and Tastycakes and wiping tomato sauce off their mouths and black Rangeman shirts. Most everyone actually softly chuckled as one person declared that Ranger was probably rolling in his grave over this. Everyone, but the curly haired and fragile woman that was so close to breaking.

She took a couple pain pills and soaked in the tub and staggered to the bed and slept like the dead that night. Her void was so deep and she was drowning in it. She knew that no one would ever really take Ranger's place. Sex and the pain pills were at least a respite from the pain.

TBC-

Okay, so now she has other issues. Which are? Some of you might be offended at the downhill slide with Steph. You'll just have to trust me. It's not random slutism (new word) and you will see what I mean in the next chap and then with the twist. Someone was already offended this morning. YOU'VE INVESTED. STAY WITH THE STORY CHICKS!

In a previous chapter where Les was telling Steph about an incident in a Paris hotel with Tank is not my imagination at work. A similar scenario really happened to my uncle when he was on a European vacation with his wife and my parents in the late 60's. I was there in the late 90's and stayed at a nice old hotel just a couple blocks from the Du Louvre and I searched the bathroom for a strange lever or rope and didn't find anything. My roommate thought I was being weird which is not a stretch for me. LOL


	5. Chapter 5

Warning-Smut and character death.

**Chapter 5**

The next morning she got up early and dressed in her Rangeman clothes. It was time to work and give something back. Before she left the apartment, she checked her phone messages. There were nearly a hundred. Most were angry messages from her mother and Joe. She listened to a few of them. They went from irritated to downright vicious and angry.

"_Cupcake. You have been mine since you were six years old and I was your first and I will be your last. You'll be back_." She shivered.

"_Stephanie Michelle Plum! You have embarrassed this family for the last time. It's a disgrace what you accuse poor Joseph of. You don't know a woman's place place and you need to learn it. I guess I didn't teach you well enough, but you will learn daughter! Joseph promises to take care of this_." She shivered even harder at this. And then deleted the rest of the messages from her mother and Joe.

A few messages were from Mary Lou and Connie and Lula. She would call them soon. She went downstairs to the control room. It was quiet when she walked through. She scooted into her cubicle and put her head down and worked through the files in her box until they were finished and then headed back to Lester's apartment.

When she walked in, she heard the shower. She couldn't stop herself. She began dropping her clothes as she walked to the bathroom door and opened it. Lester was there in the shower.

His hair was wet and his hard body glistened as the water droplets rolled down his beautiful hard form. Her mouth watered and she instantly felt the heat and moisture building between her legs. She opened the shower door as he turned to her. She whispered, "Les."

His name on her lips was enough for him to lose all self-control and he reached out and pulled her into the shower and into his arms and he looked into her blue eyes and down at her sensuous lips and traced them with his finger and bent his head to trace them with his tongue. Then he covered them with his own lips and groaned at the softness and the taste of the sweetness there.

He was gentle and held her like she could break in his strong arms. His kiss deepened and he made love to her beautiful mouth, exploring and caressing her. His kiss was so intense that it was easy to imagine that this was Ranger again.

He whispered close to her mouth. "Steph, I want you. I want to love you."

She was lost in her memories. "Please…love me again."

He ran his hands down her thighs and lifted her legs up and around his waist. She reached down and guided him to her entrance. "Fuck, Steph. I know this is not right…"

"Please…"

He groaned and pushed into her and it felt so good. He pushed her up against the shower wall to support them and began to slowly make love to her. He had fantasized about this moment with this woman. There was not a man at Rangeman that wasn't in love with her. He was well aware that he wouldn't be making love to this sexy extraordinary woman if his cousin was still alive and he felt guilt and with the guilt came pain and need and then intense desire, for _her_. He knew she was feeling the same and trying to make the pain go away. Right this moment, he didn't care. He just wanted this, her, now.

He brought them both to a sensual peak, an ecstasy that even he had not experienced in a long time and maybe never exactly like this with this woman. He kissed her lips and her neck and kept slowly moving in her as her sweet mouth begged him for more. Querido dios (dear God), how she touched him like no other. Then she yelled out and squeezed him and he emptied himself into her as she whispered, "Ranger."

He gently set her on her feet and grabbed a towel and left the shower. She watched him walk away with his head down and she slid down the shower wall and lay on the floor and cried as the warm water washed over her.

The next morning she dressed and ate breakfast in the break room and headed to her cubicle. She was aware that she never saw Lester the whole day. She took a couple pain pills when she got back to the room that night and she was sitting on the couch in the dark when a knock sounded at the door and Bobby stuck his head in.

"Steph?"

"Bobby."

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah."

"Can I do something for you?"

"Yes."

"What, sweetheart?"

"Make me forget."

"Steph…"

"Please…love me."

He walked over to the couch and took her hand and pulled her up and walked her to the bedroom. He removed her clothes and lay her down on the bed and he touched her and caressed her and kissed her until she was begging and ready for him and then he entered her and held her as he moved inside her with the erotic intensity of a tantric warrior. This was Bobby. Healing, patient and protective as he loved her body and spoke sweet words to her mind until she was lost again in her memories and they both felt sweet release together and she whispered right before sleep took her, "Ranger."

Bobby felt guilt as rose from the bed and looked at her small, sad figure and picked up his clothes and left the room.

She cried in the shower the next morning as she thought about the last few days and her future. If she stayed here, she could tear her friends and Rangeman apart. She would have to make another painful decision in her life soon. She was filled with self-loathing. She dressed and took more pain pills and staggered to the living room to put on her boots. She slowly made her way to her cubicle and worked until noon. Hector came by and asked her if she wanted to have lunch. She asked him if he would follow her back to Lester's apartment.

She closed the door behind them and walked up close to him and put an arm around his wait and one around his neck and brought his mouth to her and kissed him. He grabbed her ass with both hands and pulled her hard against him. "Hector, I heard you sometimes like women and you like rough sex. Would you like be with me? I want it that way with you." He gave her an evil grin and unbuttoned her cargo pants and jerked them down and then pulled her shirt and bra off. He pushed her over the couch and put his hand inside her panties to touch her. "Tan cono jugoso todo para mi (such juicy pussy all for me)."

He rubbed and manipulated her clit hard until she climaxed and then ripped her panties off and unzipped his pants and stroked his long length and thrust into her hard and fucked her with fast long strokes until she quivered and yelled and climaxed hard. He didn't stop. "Estefania, did you not also hear that I fuck until I make my lovers cry. When you ask for a fuck from me, you get much more."

He fucked her hard for almost an hour and until they were both covered in sweat and hair soaked. She lasted through at least four more orgasms before she was tender and in pain and began to cry and beg him to please cum and stop. When she said the words, he did and she fell to the floor on top of him sobbing. He wiped the sweat from her brow and the tears from her face and lay his head against hers. "I love you Estefania. I know that you are in pain. I know you have been fucking the men and this will come to no good end soon."

After he left, she showered and reached for her pain pills, again. She finished the day and went back to her apartment and took another pain pill before bed. That night she dreamed about the last time she saw Ranger before his mission when he had come to her apartment and tenderly kissed her goodbye and then the dream changed and he pointed his finger at her and called her a slut and said that she was no better than Joyce Barnhardt and she should leave his company and his men.

She woke up sweating and crying. "I'm not her. I can't be her." She reached for her bottle of pain pills and took a handful and headed to the shower.

She stumbled to the apartment door to leave and swung it open and stopped dead. She thought she was awake. She had thought for sure that she was.

He stepped toward her and she backed up. "You went to the light and left me alone."

He reached out for her and she backed up several more paces again. He looked so real. "You always leave me."

"Babe...?"

She swiped her arm across her eyes and looked at him again. "Your boots sure are hard to fill. It takes _allll_...the merry men." She giggled.

"What is wrong with you?"

"I would really like to fuck while you're here, but I'm a _lot_ sore after Hector. Don't get me wrong, he's good. He's kind of an animal though. I can give you a blow job or we can make out or just talk for a while before you go back. Sup' to you."

"Explain to me what you are talking about now, please." His eyes flashed dark and he stepped closer.

"You're pretty huffy for a ghost." She stepped back.

"Babe, I'm not a ghost. I'm real. I'm calling Bobby. Something is not right."

"No need. I already fucked him too. Oh, and Lester and Hal was surprisingly good." She giggled again.

"Are you high? The Stephanie I know would never fuck her way through my men!"

"You don't have any men. You're dead and I'm not your Stephanie any more..." She sunk down to the floor and began to cry.

"Shit. You're in shock. Listen to me. I'm not dead." She slowly looked at him starting with his boots and went up his body to his face, his hair and then his eyes. He was thinner and had some new scars and he did look sort of real to her. She could see him so clearly.

"Oh God. I'm going crazy." She closed her eyes and started feeling toward the door for the doorknob to just get out and her hand touched firm flesh.

She crawled backwards and put her hands to her head. "Nooo. This is not real. Please..."

"Babe, it_ is_ me."

She opened her eyes and looked up at him just staring at him. She whispered, "You didn't die? You're alive?"

"Yes. I'm alive. I was on a dangerous mission that was about to fail and it had to be this way. They had to think I was dead."

"Oh no! Oh God. What have I done?"

"What, Babe? You didn't actually mean..."

She looked up into his beautiful eyes and began to sob. She thought, he won't love me any more when he finds out everything that I've done. I didn't trust him. I didn't have faith and I did..awful things. What I've done will hurt him and he's going to hate me. She couldn't bear to see the disappointment and hurt in his eyes when he found out how pathetic and bad she really was.

She sobbed. "I'm so sorry. You didn't come to me any more and I was sad and lonely and I've done things.…You won't be able to forgive me Ranger."

"Babe, I think you need help. l know you're probably hurt and I'm sorry." He pulled out his phone and turned to make a call.

He may forgive me she thought, but he won't want me anymore. I _am_ a slut just like Joyce. She grabbed her bag and ran past him and headed to the elevators. The door opened immediately and she rode it down to the garage and walked out and hailed Ram and Cal as they were leaving. "A ride please guys."

"Sure Steph."

She had them drop her off in the Burg a couple blocks from her parents house. She took a couple of her pills to numb her and for courage and then doubled back to Morelli's house and knocked on the door. He opened the door and scanned her black Rangeman uniform and then leveled twin pools of hate on her face.

"I..I've been so wrong...I know now..I deserved to be punished." He took her hand pulled her inside and closed the door behind them.

_In the news – The body of the local celebrity Stephanie Plum, known as the "The Bombshell Bounty Hunter" was discovered at the Pleasant Hills Cemetary early morning on Thursday. Her body was found next to the grave of military hero and local business man Ricardo Carlos Manoso; known locally as Ranger who died a month ago on a military mission. The body was badly beaten and further details are not yet known. A Coroner's Office spokesperson advised that results of the autopsy are still pending. She will be laid to rest on Sunday at Pleasant Hills Cemetary close to Mr. Manoso where she was found._

TBC-

I originally wrote this as a sad and tragic short. My first ever non hea and story with primary character death. This was my original ending. My beta warned me that you wouldn't like this at all. DUH!, on my part, not hers. So, I did write some more, a twist to make it easier to swallow by more readers. Most of you want it so, the twist and extended version will be up next. A lot of the stuff up to this point that may not sit well with you will be changed by the continuation of the story.

This is a sad story about abuse and then addiction and then guilt. Hector gave her his version of tough love and or be careful what you ask for. He knows she's in pain and being destructive and is about to create some havoc. He warns her.


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you for all the nice reviews during this story. They were mostly surprisingly positive and very supportive and I give credit to all of you who are fans of my writing and understand a little about how my mind works _where writing is concerned anyway_. I appreciate every single reader and every single review, good or bad and I listen. Love you guys!

Okay, so the original ending was tough and I didn't want you guys to wait long. So here begins the twist.

**Chapter 6**

"Noooo!" He woke in a cold sweat. He was delirious and dreaming that horrible nightmare again. This time the dream was different. This time the dream had an ending, a terrifying ending. He knew his time was almost up and if this dream was an omen, possibly hers too. He had lost track of his captivity at day twenty eight after he had been beaten to within an inch of his life. Now they were just playing with him and waiting to dump his body in the jungle. He thought of the dreams again and Stephanie and growled. I'm not dead yet he thought.

This place was like a dark dungeon. He had a fever and he was cold and sweating at the same time. He began feeling around on the old dilapidated concrete floor groaning at the pain in his broken fingers. It was almost pitch black. He was looking for anything sharp. Finally, not far from him on one side he found a stone that felt fairly sharp on one end. He began digging where the chain was attached to the wall. Every time the he got tired or the pain got unbearable he thought about the end of that nightmare.

Hours later he finally got one side loose and pulled the chain from the wall. He rested and then began working the other side and it was harder because the fingers were in even worse shape using this other hand. Yet, he only stopped for short breaks. He worked with the determination of a man that had made a life or death promise to someone he held dear to him. His love for her was the only thing that could save them both now.

Finally, he was free. He was tired and weak and panting. He rested his head against the cold wall and closed his eyes. The guard hadn't been in for a long time. He had to show soon. What must have been a couple of hours later he heard footsteps and then a key in the door. He gathered his strength and stood up and limped to the door and waited next to it. When the guard stepped through, the chain wrapped around his neck and was pulled tight before he could yell for help. Through the pain he pictured her body laying over the grave at the end of the dream and he pushed the pain back and drew every ounce of energy from within him and pulled and squeezed the chain as tight as he could. Within two minutes the guard was still.

The dead man was undressed and dragged up against the back wall. As he changed into the dead man's clothes he thought about his next move. He needed to find a way to make contact and find a way out. He picked up the guard's gun and took his keys and locked the cell door. When he turned, the light blinded him and he had to wait a minute to move until his eyes adjusted. He crouched and tiptoed down the hallway toward a door and looked through the square opening at the top. There was no one in the next chamber.

He walked through and up a set of stairs and stayed against the wall. He heard voices further down the hall and could see out a window that it was dark outside. He walked in a side room and looked in. Bingo! A phone. He closed the door and quickly dialed a number and waited for the connection. Then quickly gave the codes for his near failed mission, air strike and immediate extraction. "_Urgent Fury-Op Vortex. Swiftlift required. Romeo-Golf-Romeo. Confirm_?" A voice came back, "Affirmative, tracing now."

He laid the phone down so the call could be traced and stepped out of the door and took a few steps and looked down a side hall and there was an outside door. So far so good. Now, if he could just get out and slip away before the guards knew he had escaped. He was growing weaker and moving on pure adrenalin and fear. Fear for his Babe. If he was spotted and ambushed he wouldn't have much of a chance to fight and live to make it out of here. He had a gun, yet his mangled hands would be almost useless in a firefight. He tried the door and it creaked. Just then he heard laughter and pushed the door open the the rest of way and slipped out hoping that the sound hadn't drawn attention.

He was now outside. He crouched and looked around. There was a fence around the compound. There was a guard tower near the entrance and gate. He headed in the opposite direction of the tower to the fence and walked it until he found a hole near the bottom in one place and crawled through and sighed with relief as he came out the other side and stood. Then he headed through the jungle following the fence around back toward the road and slipped away.

He shuffled through the jungle parallel to the main road until he heard a plane and then several explosions behind him. His energy had been ebbing and the pain from his injuries was excruciating, but the adrenalin had kept him moving. He was going to make it. He had to. He was too close to fail now. He saw lights in the sky and headed toward the road as they became closer and he knew that they were the lights of a helicopter. He began waving as the helo got closer. Suddenly the lights were directly overhead and he gave the hand signal that would tell them that he was their man.

The helicopter landed and two armed men jumped out and ran to him. "Major Manoso, Sir?"

"Affirmative."

"You need an assist, sir."

"That's definitely an affirmative. Damned glad to see you." They took his arms and helped him on to the helo and the one closest to the door signaled to the pilot to lift off.

A medic leaned over him and began working as he closed his eyes. His last thought before blackness was, _Hang on Babe. I'm on my way home_.

Two surgeries, a long debriefing and two weeks later I was finally headed home to Trenton. I had been in contact with Tank and he had assured me during the debriefing that Stephanie had been safe and secure at Rangeman. Tank had confirmed the sordid details of what I already knew of the abuse Stephanie had suffered at Morelli's hands. Stephanie was still hurt and in shock from that ordeal and we had agreed it best that I return and see her in person first, before dealing with any new issues that might come from an additional shock.

After picking me up at the airport, we spoke briefly about general issues and then the rest of the drive back to Rangeman was spent in an eerie silence. As Tank parked in the garage I asked, "Where is she?"

"Lester's apartment." A shiver ran down my spine.

I took the elevator to level four and walked up to the door. It suddenly opened and Lester looked at me with shock on his face.

"What the fuck?"

"Where is Stephanie?"

"She's not here."

"There's a fucking tombstone with your name on it. Do you have any idea what she's been through? What all of us have been through?"

"Yeah man, I do know and I need to find her.

"What do you mean she's not here?"

"I was just going to look for her. Most of her stuff is gone."

"She's in serious trouble if Morelli gets his hands on her."

"No shit! It started with your funeral!"

"I know. I need you to drive me. We have to find her." He just growled in frustration and nodded and we headed to the control room to ask questions and check the video footage to find out when exactly she had left the building.

Stephanie had left with a bag and Rex the day before. Her departure had been quiet and only one camera had picked her up. She had asked one of the new men for a ride to Wilbur Street. There were several businesses in the area where she was dropped off and one was a bank. We walked in and I spoke to the manager. He at first didn't want to give us any information on Stephanie. When I growled and told him that all I wanted to know is if there was any unusual activity on the account he sighed and told us that the account was emptied and closed.

We walked out and I looked down the street trying to think how her mind might be working. There was a used car lot down the street. We headed there. I asked for the manager and asked if she had been there and he said that she had and she had purchased a blue 1998 VW Beetle.

I called her parents house and her Grandmother answered. "Mrs. Mazur, have you heard from Stephanie?"

"Who is this?"

"Ranger Manoso."

"You playin' some kind of sick joke on me, son? Because if you are, it's not very funny."

"No ma'am. I'm very much alive and I need to find Steph. Has she called you?"

"She called to say that she was going away not long ago. You know that Morelli boy hurt her. I offered some of my savings and my blessing to get out of this damn Burg and away from her mother."

"Any idea at all where she was headed?"

"She's looking for a new home, son. She's not in a good place right now."

"Where do you think she went?"

"She loves the ocean. Might have stopped there. She always loved Point Pleasant as a child."

"Thanks You. I'm going to find her."

"Wait just a minute young fella!"

"Yes ma'am?"

"What are your intentions?"

"Mrs. Mazur, I love her and I want to help her."

"Then you find her and you make that little Italian son-of-a-goombah's patoot pay. You hear?"

"Oh, I intend to ma'am." I disconnected.

We drove to Point Pleasant and Lester stopped and let me out. He stepped out of the SUV and looked at me and said, "I'm warning you now. I don't know how she's going to handle seeing you. I talked to Bobby this morning and she's seriously fragile right now and I'm not just talking about her body." I nodded and he pulled the truck away headed to check the motels down the beach. I knew if she was here I would feel her. I walked to the boardwalk area and went to the middle of the walkway and looked around and I closed my eyes hoping I could somehow connect with her like in the dreams.

Stephanie, please…Where are you? You brought me home and now I need to do the same for you. He felt a tingle and his eyes turned as he saw a flash of something floating in the water. He ran down the beach and into the waves yelling her name and splashing and grabbing and felt nothing in the water. The morbid words, 'the sea rarely gives up its dead' rang cold in his ears and body. Would she take her own life?

He knew she had been here. He had felt her for just a few moments. He growled in frustration and with his head down he turned and headed to the beach in anguish and sat heavily in the sand and looked out over the waves. "Babe, I'm so sorry. I hurt you and I let you down. I wasn't here for you when you needed me."

He felt a cool breeze blow through his hair and a sudden tingling again and his heart fluttered. "Ranger?" He turned and looked up. If it was an apparition it was the most beautiful one that he had ever seen. Her curls were flying around her face in the light breeze and her blue eyes were shining with surprise and also sadness. She was smaller and her shirt and shorts were hanging loosely on her body. But, to him she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"Babe."

"You said goodbye. I thought you went to the light."

"Stephanie, you're the light. I'm here because of you."

Tears began falling down her face and she smiled at me. "I miss you so much."

She stood still as a statue as I walked to her. Then I took her in my arms and pulled her to me.

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "You feel so real and you're even wet from the salt water."

"I am real. Flesh and blood. I didn't die."

"But…Oh I'm dreaming again."

"No, Steph. My mission went bad. My death was faked. I'm so sorry." Her face changed from sad to horrified and she stepped back out of my embrace and put her hands over her mouth.

"Oh no…The things that have happened. I'm not the same, Ranger. I'm damaged. You won't like me very much now." She turned to run and I caught her.

"Babe, I already know what you did and I forgive you."

"They told you everything?"

"No. I saw it. I'm glad they were able to give you comfort."

"They did help me."

"We all can work through the addiction problem and the other issues. My men love you."

"Other issues. You mean Morelli?"

"Yes and with you sleeping with my men..."

"What?"

"You weren't in your right mind. We can get you into a treatment program for the addiction."

"I didn't sleep with your men. How could you say such a thing?" She had tears in her eyes and turned away and began walking.

"Babe, wait..."

She turned to me and smiled as tears fell down her cheeks. "I'm glad you're home and safe, Ranger. I really am. Everything is different now though and I need to be on my own for a while. I need to learn to be stronger, mentally and physically. Tell the guys thank you for rescuing me and helping me.

TBC-

So? Comments?


	7. Chapter 7

My girl Avid Reader 59 made a good point at the end of chap 5. She said that Cal and Ram would have never just dropped Steph off in the Burg near Morelli's or her parents without calling Tank. Excellent point and I erred there. I meant back in Chap 3 for Steph to make a point before the guys left the room that she didn't want the Morelli assault to go further than the people that already knew because of the nature of it. I have corrected that in Chap 3 and now Ram and Cal are innocent because they don't really know what happened. As far as charges going public? You'll see...

Okay, so just messing with you hea'sters. Get ready to do your happy dance!

**Chapter 7 **

"Stop! Do NOT walk away from me. You have no idea what it took to get back to you."

"Ranger, I need to learn to take care of myself and then Morelli is going to pay. He got all the charges dropped against him."

"Clarify for me why you left the safety of Rangeman and don't worry about Morelli. He _will_ pay for hurting you."

"I'm here because I changed and I couldn't stop taking the pain pills. I was losing control. Truth is, I almost did sleep with Lester. He talked to you?

"No. Babe, I was dying and I dreamed about you. Morelli, your rescue, the pills, your pain and loneliness, the relationships with the men. I knew it was happening or was going to. The last dream ended with your death. It had to be our connection. I knew you needed me."

"I dreamed you came to me too, Ranger. You kept telling me to have faith and to trust you. What happened to you?"

"I was captured and held in a cell outside of Santiago, Chile."

"You don't look well. They hurt you? The casts."

"Yeah. They hurt me. The last dream I had about you pushed me to move and find a way out. So, you're not walking away from me now."

"I think that what happened in my dreams could have happened, but you were strong and I'm so proud of you, Babe."

"I wasn't feeling very strong. I don't feel strong now. You still want to be my friend?"

I walked to her and put my arms around her and lowered my head and touched her lips with mine and poured my heart and soul into the kiss. I looked into her eyes and said, "Babe, I want much more. I want to be your everything."

"Everything? But,..you don't do relationships."

I smiled at her. "We're already in one. There is no denying now what's between us. It defies logic. I say we go with it. I've been a nincompoop. I love you, Stephanie Plum." Her face changed again and she threw her arms around me giggling and crying at the same time.

"Ranger, I don't know what's more shocking. That you called yourself a nincompoop or that you said the words, "I love you". You're really alive. I thought I had lost my chance to tell you how much you mean to me too."

"What do I mean to you?"

"I love you too. I think I always have." I kissed her lips with all of the ardor and affection I held for this blue-eyed soul mate of mine.

"I'm so sorry that you had to go through all that you did. We would both benefit from some counseling after this. We can even do some sessions together. We've been through a lot and I want us to heal so we can start a life together. How about we get your things and go home."

"Home?"

"Babe, home is with me and when I was captive you were home to me." She put her arm in mine and smiled at me and pressed her lips to mine.

"Okay. So, home." I gave her what she calls my 200-watt smile and nodded.

"Check out of your motel and you drive us. I'll have Lester head on back." I called Lester and we checked her out of the motel and grabbed Rex.

On the way back to Trenton, Stephanie just kept stealing glances at me. "I don't smell anything burning. You okay?"

"You're here and you just look beautiful to me. You're so much thinner though. I want to feed you fried chicken and jelly doughnuts."

"Not going to happen, Babe."

"Meatball subs and Tastycakes?"

"Babe."

"Peanut butter and olive sandwiches and birthday cake."

"Hell no!" She giggled. What a wonderful sound. I reached over and touched her leg gently and rubbed it. Damn casts.

When we got back to the Rangeman garage, some of the men were coming off the elevator and filling up SUVs. We walked up to Tank and I asked what was going on. "Welcome back my friend. What's getting underway is 'Operation Pop Morrelli's Cherry'. Ram and Cal are holding him in an alley down on Stark Street. Costanza and Big Dog tipped us off." I grinned at my friend and shook his hand.

"Babe, go up to the apartment and wait for us."

"No way. If this is payback for what Morelli did to me then I'm going."

"No you're not. This is not something a woman needs to see."

"You're not going to kill him, are you?" I grinned at her.

"No. He's going to be screaming like a bitch though."

"Omigod! All of these men? Are you going to…"

"Yes…"

"I want to be there when you do it."

"No, Steph."

"Yes! I get closure too. Believe me, I can handle this," she yelled at me. I groaned. "You will stay in the vehicle until I come to get you." We took my truck and rode in a four vehicle caravan to Stark Street.

Six Rangemen piled out of vehicles heading into the alley to meet up with Cal and Ram. I kissed Steph and got out and followed my men. A Trenton Police Department cruiser pulled up. Eddie, Carl and Big Dog got out and walked up to my truck to talk to Steph. Tank and I looked at each other and chuckled as we heard her say, "Get out of here, you three monkeys. You need to see no evil, hear no evil so you can speak no evil." They all laughed.

TBC-

So, I left this chap short on purpose. Do you want the crude alley scene and Joe's payback or no? I didn't write it too graphic. Steph just tells it from her POV. Review and weigh-in girls!


	8. Chapter 8

You guys wanted Joe's punishment and I knew you would. If I was Steph, seeing it would be acceptable for me too.

**Chapter 7**

The three cops followed us into the alley. We could hear Morelli cursing and threatening Cal and Ram as we were walking. When the wall of black parted and Morelli saw me walking towards him, his faced flashed from angry to terrified and then went sickly pale. "Hello, Morelli. Hector, strip him. Boys, draw your straws and pass out the condoms."

"Fuck you, Manoso! You assault a cop and your ass really will be dead this time!"

I turned as the three TPD cops walked up, "Eddie, Carl, Big Dog? You boys see an assault getting ready to take place here?"

"_Nope, not me, wasn't here_…"

Hector roughly grabbed Morelli's jaws and turned his face to him and kissed him on the mouth hard and ripped his shirt off. Morelli went to hit him and Hector slammed him to the wall. Ram and Cal held his arms while Hector reached around and tweaked Morelli's nipples and unbuckled his pants and then dropped them and his boxers to the ground. Hector grabbed a handful of his bare ass and whispered in his ear, "Agradable y firme (nice and firm)."

"The last three will be myself, Tank and then Hector. Who's up first?"

I sent Tank to get Steph when it was time. When she arrived, I handed her a condom and said, "You want to give me a hand here, Babe? I'm at a disadvantage with the casts."

"Sure honey." She smiled at me. She roughly grabbed Morelli's jaw and turned it toward her and then unzipped me and stroked me a couple times and ripped open the condom wrapper with her teeth and rolled it on and kissed me. Damn! That's my woman. The guys were hooting and whistling.

She put her hands on her hips and growled at Morelli, "Enjoy, Joe. I certainly do." He looked at her with sweat running down his face and his body and tears in his eyes and then Hector gave me a hand by spreading his cheeks and I slammed into the son-of-a-bitch. I heard Big Dog say, "Christ! What the fuck did your mothers feed you boys? I've seen nothing less than eight inches.

Tank laughed. "You ain't seen nothin' yet, brother."

Steph spoke with pride then. "That's my man inside you. Impressive huh, Joe? They were all impressive, weren't they?"

In a shaky voice he said, "You would know because you're just the Rangeman whore. I bet you spread your legs for all of these thugs."

"Well, that would make me a lucky girl Morelli because I would rather be their whore than your anything. Finish up honey, so we can go home."

I looked at her strong stance and jaw set and growled my climax. I dropped the condom with the couple free fingers I had and my Babe zipped me up and I put my arm around her and we began walking back to the SUV. She turned around as Tank was pulling his condom on and he looked at her and winked. Then Joe's scream seemed to split the air.

"Wait just a minute, Ranger." She walked back to Joe. Tank was wailing on him and Joe looked up at her as tears were rolling down his face. "One more thing, Joe. If we ever hear that you have raped or abused another woman in this city again, your new lovers will be looking for you."

Hector was bouncing on his toes laughing maniacally. Tank looked at me as he was zipping up. "Getting antsy, he hasn't had his turn yet. We don't want to be here for that, man." Steph grinned at Hector. "Bet you have friends that would like to play with a handsome cop like Morelli?" He laughed and nodded.

"Correction, Joe. Next time Hector will introduce you to some new lovers." Joe was whimpering as Hector unzipped and we were turning away.

Stephanie mumbled, "Good God and Christ on a Crucifix, where do you get one of those and where does he hide that thing?" Tank and I both boomed with laughter. The three TPD cops laughed and followed us out. Like the scene of an accident, Steph looked back one more time. Hector was wrapping something around Morelli's cock and balls. She mumbled, "Hhmm…?"

Stephanie had a strange smile on her face as we walked back to the truck. There would never be another woman in Trenton at least that would suffer abuse at the hands of Joe Morelli. I whispered to the woman Morelli had almost broken, "Proud of you and I love you, Babe."

When we got to Haywood, Stephanie turned to me and said, "Ranger, Lester wasn't there. I know he's upset and I need to go see him. He loves me, you know. I couldn't give him what he wanted. I was hurt and grieving and getting hooked on the stupid pain pills. I think I mislead him and I need to talk to him."

Stephanie knocked on Lester's door and waited. He opened it and looked at us and opened it wider. He waved his hand for us to come in and sat down on his sofa. Stephanie walked over and crawled in his lap and put her arms around him and hugged him. His surprise was evident on his face and he looked at me. She said, "Les, I know you love me and that's okay. I love you as a dear friend, but I have always been in love with Ranger. I don't know what I would have done without you. I know that one day you'll find your love. I'm positive that you will."

Lester looked at me and I nodded and he put his arms around her and kissed her.

"I'll always be here for you, beautiful."

"You didn't go to the alley where they had Morelli…"

"You were there?" She nodded.

"You took her with you? She didn't need to see that, man."

There was a knock on the door. "Yeah?"

"It's Bob."

"Come in, Bobby." He walked over and sat down next to Lester and kissed Steph on the cheek.

"Good to see you alive and well, mi hermano."

"Good to be alive, mi hombre. Bobby, I appreciate you taking care of Stephanie during all this mess."

"This is her home. She's our sister." I nodded.

Bobby asked, "Why did you leave, Steph? We were worried. What if Morelli had found you first?"

"The pain pills were changing me. I was having inappropriate thoughts and I was afraid that I would start acting on them. I thought it best if I left Rangeman."

"You should have come to me. I wasn't aware that they had become a problem for you. We could have weaned you off and worked through it."

"I was already a burden. I didn't want anyone to know how much more pathetic and helpless I'd become."

"That was in your head. That was never true."

"She and I both are going to get some help and it won't hurt for us to have some sessions together. I dragged my broken ass out of that hellhole and made it home because my woman needed me and I needed her. I'm going to cut the shit and admit that I love her. Hopefully, the help will give us a healthy new beginning." They both smiled and nodded agreement.

"Ranger, what was Hector going to do to Morelli? I saw him tie something to his penis." Bobby choked.

"What the fuck were you doing down there, Steph? Ranger, what the fuck, man?"

"That's what I said, Bob. She didn't need to see that. Damn, bro!", Lester said.

"She wanted closure. I allowed her to see me and she saw Tank and we left as Hector moved up. He was last." Lester and Bobby grimaced.

"So is somebody going to tell me what Hector did to Morelli or not?"

"NO!" Three voices boomed.

"Duh! Look at me. Do I look that innocent to all of you? What was that tie thing about?"

Lester groaned and Bobby sighed.

"Babe, he tied up his cock and balls. Works like a cock ring. He was going to torture Morelli by jerking him really hard and fast and Morelli wouldn't be able to cum. Hector is wicked. No doubt he jerked the hide off him and Morelli won't be able to use it for weeks." Stephanie burst out laughing and the guys did too.

"I love Hector!"

Lester barked, "Beautiful, Hector can be one evil mother and I have no doubt he enjoyed the hell out of that. Makes my balls ache just thinking about it."

Bobby said, "Damn, I hope you didn't create a monster by taking her to that alley."

Stephanie giggled. "Well, you two missed the action and Hector was the big man hands down. Have you seen what that guy is packing? I'll buy him lunch just to see it again. I'll pay him if he'll let me measure it. I'd like to have a picture of it and frame it. You know, I bet he could enter that thing into the Guinness Book of World Records..."

"Babe..."

"Oh sorry. Yours is very impressive too, honey. It's as soft as baby skin and it's cute the way it has that little crook in it and leans to the left a bit and it's definitely frame worthy too." Bobby and Lester busted out laughing.

"Shit! I do need my head examined. My men are never going to look at me the same way again." That made them just laugh harder.

"Boys, I'm exhausted now that I know my woman is safe."

"Ranger, I'll be reviewing your hospital chart during debriefing and I'll see you sometime tomorrow for a physical and I will be setting up these counseling appointments for both of you." I nodded and got up and reached for my Babe's hand.

"Come here, Babe. I'm tired and I want some alone time with you." She got up from Lester's lap and walked over to me. Then she smiled up at me and slid her hand around my waist and squeezed. I smiled at her and nuzzled her nose and then we headed to my apartment. I looked back at the guys. "I'm offline for a while, men." I winked at them. "My Babe and I have some catching up to do." I heard Lester say, "Good, because I don't know how much mushy Ranger I can watch and keep my dinner down."

When we got to the apartment, she looked up at me with those big blue eyes with love in them and whispered, "Ranger."

I whispered, "Babe..." Then I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her soft lips and everything was forgotten and all in the world was safe and right again. I lay down and she gently undressed me and kissed all my wounds and moved over me and we made love as well as two broken lovers could and then we began healing, together.

**One Year Later**

About a week after the social get-together in the alley, a photo showed up in Morelli's office showing him with his clothing around his ankles, his hands against a brick wall and a man kissing him with his hand on his rear end. This same photo subsequently showed up in a few political figures' offices and support for a campaign for Morelli as county Sheriff was withdrawn.

Last heard, Morelli had accepted a transfer to a police department out of state. That was at least six months ago.

When rumor spread that Joseph Morelli was gay and out of the closet and that's why Stephanie Plum did not want to marry him, Helen Plum was horrified and then happy that her daughter at least made that choice wisely. Then her happiness turned to embarrassment again when she found out that Stephanie had secretly married Ranger in a civil ceremony and had been happily wed for months and was even pregnant without telling her. She had called Stephanie and demanded that she come to the Plum home to explain her bad behavior and disrespect.

Stephanie arrived ready for Helen Plum. She and Ranger had completed their counseling sessions and were not so surprised to find that Helen Plum was a destructive influence in her life and she had been given the emotional tools and support to deal with this family problem. Ranger watched with pride as Stephanie told her mother exactly how she made her feel and how she had hurt her and pushed her to accept men who hurt and abused her and demanded choices in her life to suit her mother's ignorance and selfish pride. She told her mother that she didn't want her influence in her life or in her unborn child's any longer and said goodbye.

Sadly, Frank Plum never said a word until he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a short time after and called Stephanie. He apologized for his reticence in dealing with his wife and her treatment of Stephanie. He also admitted that he knew that Morelli was hurting her and did nothing. They made their peace with one another before he passed a couple months later.

It was Saturday and another pool party at the beach house was taking place, Steph's favorite place. I walked out of the house with a big plate of burgers and brats for the grill and stopped. I had to put the plate down to keep from dropping it as I snickered. Stephanie walked out behind me and snorted. A game of water volley ball was evidently about to begin and there were six Rangemen in the deep end of the pool, a couple treading water and one Grandma Mazur on the other side grinning and clacking her teeth in a hot pink bikini.

Stephanie slapped her hand over her mouth in a fit of giggles. "Well that's not fair. You should go team-up with Grandma."

"Babe, Edna is more dangerous in water than on land. She's like a shark-stingray hybrid with those choppers and the bony fingers."

"What a bunch of pathetic wimps you guys are." She continued to giggle.

"She's got her snorkle and mask. She got two men at one time last pool party. I'm not digging her false teeth out of another pair of swim trunks while a man screams and I won't comfort another 250 pound ex-Army Ranger after she sticks a bony finger up his..."

Thank goodness Lula and Connie and Mary Lou and her husband Lenny came outside at that moment because I had the shivers at that memory.

The girls thought they were getting ready to play guys against girls and hopped in with Edna and I wanted to cross myself and thank God I was so happy. Steph opted not to play because she was almost four months pregnant with our new babe. So, they asked Lenny to team with them.

I put the meat on the grill and went inside to get the corn Steph had wrapped and the peppers and onions for the grill and came back out when I saw a flash of red and blue tank shirt and white ass running by. Tank walked up next to me and said, "And, he gone."

"Was that Lenny?"

"Yeah. And, damn that white boy's fast." He put his hands up over his eyebrows looking down the beach and then I did the same."

"Shit! I just see mostly white and sand flying."

Stephanie came up and slapped us both on our tender slightly sunburned backs. "Well go get him you two big goofy oafs!" We chuckled and I kissed her and we grabbed a towel and went to console Lenny and bring him back. I looked back at the pool and Grandma gave me a thumbs up and pitched his trunks over the net. I guess that was a compliment for poor Lenny. The trunks splatted on Lester's head and he began bitching about never being able to get a hard-on again and getting his head shaved.

I looked from the pool back at my Babe and the sweet smile on her face as she rubbed her little belly and giggled and I heard the laughter of my friends and gave thanks for being alive and so content with my world and everyone in it. Even little Granny Mazur...

THE END

Hope I gave you a fitting HEA for this story! Love you guys!


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